Derry Brexit protesters bound for Stormont

Members of the broad based 'Breaking Down Brexit Campaign' pictured at the campaign launch at the old customs post on the Derry Bridgend frontier crossing last year. DER3716GS003

Published:09:47Tuesday 28 March 2017

Derry’s ‘Breaking Down Brexit’ group is set to protest at Stormont tomorrow amid expectations the British Government will trigger the process of leaving the European Union.

A bus will depart from Derry tomorrow at 11.30 am and local people have been invited to book in advance to take part.

The protest, which has been organised by the Border Communities Against Brexit group, will take place at Stormont at 2.00 p.m.

Dermot O’Hara from ‘Breaking Down Brexit’ said: “It is not acceptable that 56 per cent of us voted to remain in the EU and no proposal has been forthcoming from the British Government ahead of triggering Article 50 on how the north and border communities will be protected in terms of travel and trade.”

He added: “It is crucial that the political parties at Stormont campaign and urgently put Brexit at the top of their political agenda so that a special case can be made for the north and border communities to remain within European Union.”

The campaign group is seeking support from all sections of society and political affiliation in showing the anger towards the Prime Minister triggering Article 50 “without any thought on the economic damage she is doing to our communities”.

A bus will leave the Foyle Valley Railway Museum at 11.30am and people wishing to go along are asked to contact Dermot on 02871362424 or at d@destined.ie

Declan Fearon, chair, Border Communities Against Brexit, said that following recent meeting in the EU, those involved in the negotiations over Brexit there had been very interested in local views and the impact locally. He said: “They are engaged and interested in how the north and border communities will be very badly affected by Brexit, but the British Government’s approach of taking us out of the customs union, removing the free travel of people while at the same time seeking free trade with the EU is seen in Europe as a pipe dream.”